How to Take Advantage of the Virtualization `Appliance' Model in the Digital Home

Challenge

Benefit from the emerging ‘appliance’ model in Digital Home virtualization. An exciting usage model for Intel® Virtualization Technology on desktops and laptops is to create appliances. With Intel Virtualization Technology, one can take the functions of a stand-alone firewall appliance and put them into a PC, completely isolated from everything else in the system.

Solution

Consider how appliances can automate tasks and isolate multiple environments from one another on the same hardware. Stand-alone digital video recorders are one example. They run a specialized, slimmed-down operating system. Within an entertainment PC, we might embed a virtual DVR. If something bad happens in the virtual machine where the kids are playing online games, it would not affect the DVR appliance-it would still record the TV shows.

Gregory Bryant, general manager of the Intel Digital Office Platforms Group, sees the appliance model enabled by Intel Virtualization Technology as revolutionary. “Appliances are disruptive in a good way. Software companies can deliver a self-contained appliance in a highly flexible and reliable virtual environment. They have a great deal of latitude to design a new legion of applications that are delivered as an integrated part of the PC. With that kind of latitude to innovate, whole new business models are possible. The opportunity is immediate.”

Over time, the appliance concept will become even more capable. We’ll go from virtualizing the processor to virtualizing the rest of the platform-storage, graphics, and so on. This enables us to move from comparatively simple appliances to completely virtualized PCs. That opens up completely new levels of business and consumer usage models that will continue to make the Intel® platform the best choice for business and home users.